This is something that I see a lot and it’s irks me the wrong way every time. I know that people on the internet get emotional, but we gotta stop abusing words. The word hostage describes something very specific, in this case it’s this:
a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement (source)
Basically a hostage is a prisoner that is specifically held captive to be used as a bargaining chip.
This is precisely the reason why the hostages taken by Hamas are called as such. They were taken with intention of using them to cut a deal with Israel later on. But in this case, Israel is very unlikely to use the people on this boat to negotiate any deal, we don’t even know if they’re even going to be detained or released once the ship gets routed to one Israel’s ports. But if Israel does detain after the fact then that’s just imprisonment.
Detained suspect, Detained for National Security or equivalent is probably what goes on the paperwork. If they’re held longer than reasonable repatriation takes, they would then become prisoners of some type.
Informally, prisoner is probably used the most, in spite of whatever is actually correct.
Genuine question, how did you come up with any of these? Do you just throw any random label without taking into account what they mean?
To be imprisoned means to be kept in confinement as a punishment. They’re not prisoners by the definition of the word nor are they being tortured (like where did you even get this from?). If we were to label their current status accurately then they’re arrestees in custody of Israel.
The Israeli government needs to release their hostages.
This is something that I see a lot and it’s irks me the wrong way every time. I know that people on the internet get emotional, but we gotta stop abusing words. The word hostage describes something very specific, in this case it’s this:
Basically a hostage is a prisoner that is specifically held captive to be used as a bargaining chip.
This is precisely the reason why the hostages taken by Hamas are called as such. They were taken with intention of using them to cut a deal with Israel later on. But in this case, Israel is very unlikely to use the people on this boat to negotiate any deal, we don’t even know if they’re even going to be detained or released once the ship gets routed to one Israel’s ports. But if Israel does detain after the fact then that’s just imprisonment.
The only ones ever trying to devalue the meaning of words are fascists.
Many Palestinians in Israeli prisons were put in there for resisting settlers when they started taking land.
Those are hostages, not prisoners.
But when Hamas takes hostages they are indisputably hostages.
So what term then? Political Prisoner? Arbitrarily Detained Prisoner? Torture Subject?
Detained suspect, Detained for National Security or equivalent is probably what goes on the paperwork. If they’re held longer than reasonable repatriation takes, they would then become prisoners of some type.
Informally, prisoner is probably used the most, in spite of whatever is actually correct.
Genuine question, how did you come up with any of these? Do you just throw any random label without taking into account what they mean?
To be imprisoned means to be kept in confinement as a punishment. They’re not prisoners by the definition of the word nor are they being tortured (like where did you even get this from?). If we were to label their current status accurately then they’re arrestees in custody of Israel.